Andrew Chappelle, Whitney Bashor And More Join LETTERS TO THE PRESIDENT At Cooper Union

Letters to the President is a new multi-composer song cycle that reimagines letters written to Presidents throughout United States history. Each song is inspired by an individual archival letter and written by a different composer or writing team. The evening will feature composers' songs performed by a Broadway cast alongside readings of the letters that inspired them.

Just announced, the cast will be rounded out by Zoe Jensen (We Are the Tigers), Whitney Bashor (Bridges of Madison County, Superhero), Oyoyo Bonner (Book of Mormon), Matt Rodin (The Red Carpet Challenge, BROdway), Andrew Chappelle (Hamilton) and Orville Mendoza (Pacific Overtures, The Heart of Rock & Roll).

The evening's guest letter readers will be MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell; ACLU president Susan Herman; actress Piper Perabo; investigative journalist Suki Kim; The Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian's Mandy Van Heuvelen; producer Rob Long; and presidential historian David Eisenbach, Ph.D.

Letters to the President features songs by Alexander Sage Oyen, Anna K. Jacobs, Ben Wexler, Dawn Avery, Elliah Heifetz, Emily Gardner Xu Hall, The Lobbyists, Madeline Myers, Mark Sonnenblick, Naomi Matlow & Teresa Lotz, Nick Blaemire, Preston Max Allen, Rona Siddiqui, Ronvé O'Daniel & Jevares Myrick, Simone Allen, and Will Van Dyke & Jeff Talbot.

Joining this previously announced list of composers is Zack Zadek (Deathless).

Letters to the President is conceived by director Michael Bello (We Are The Tigers, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical) and dramaturg Jessica Kahkoska (Discount Ghost Stories, Agent 355), with the letters curated by Kahkoska. Music direction and orchestrations by Patrick Sulken (Pretty Woman: The Musical), co-produced by Sara DeViney and Tim Marback. Casting by Kate Lumpkin.

The project will be presented in concert, Monday, April 8, 2019 at 7pm in the historic Great Hall at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art to celebrate the school's 160th anniversary.

Tickets to Letters to the President are free and can be registered for here.

Photo Credit: Jessica Fallon Gordon

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